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What will be the focus of the incoming Biden Administration leading a country and economy devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic? Beyond the consensus about China as a threat, what can the rest of Asia expect from this superpower? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to John Pang, Senior Fellow, Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities. Bard College, New York.

The Emergency Ordinance 2021 was officially gazetted yesterday with 18 provisions, among which stipulate that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet will continue to have executive power but also take the function of law-making once done by Parliament; that no legal action & prosecution can be brought against the government or public officer for actions they carry out during this period; and that...

One of the provisions of the Emergency Ordinance states that an independent special committee will be established to advise the Agong on the need to continue the state of Emergency. But can it be truly independent? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Lim Wei Jiet, Secretary-General, National Human Rights Society (Hakam).

We continue our conversation about the consequences of suspending Parliament and other state legislatures under the state of Emergency. Will states comply with the demands of the Federal Executive? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Selangor State Exco and Former Speaker of the Selangor Assembly.

The surprised declaration of a nation-wide Emergency has left the public asking if this was motivated by the political interest of the current government or the needs of the public health crisis. Tonight Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to prominent economist and former senior United Nations official, Jomo Kwame Sundaram.

Does Parliamentary oversight impair an efficient public health programme? What other chilling effects will the Emergency declaration bring despite assurances given.  Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Tricia Yeoh,  CEO of the think tank, Institute for Democracy & Economic Affairs.

On January 1st, the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore issued a joint statement that the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project had been terminated after they failed to agree on changes to terms of the project that been tabled by Malaysia following the change of government here in 2018. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, Transport and Rail Planner and Form...

The termination of the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail projects, after the governments of both countries said they could not come to an agreement. What impact will the cancellation have at both ends of the track? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Walter Theseira, Associate Professor of Economics, Singapore University of Social Sciences.

On January 1st, the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore issued a joint statement that the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project had been terminated after they failed to agree on changes to terms of the project that been tabled by Malaysia following the change of government here in 2018. Tonight we ask what is the true cost of the cancellation. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak t...

A petition was read out in Parliament today, urging the Dewan Rakyat to expedite the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Kasthuri Patto, DAP MP of Batu Kawan, who tabled a motion of appeal for the attention of Speaker Art Harun on a new anti-sexual harassment law, for tabling in Parliament at the next sitting in March.

A petition was read out in Parliament today, urging the Dewan Rakyat to expedite the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill. The petition was an appeal from 512 Malaysians calling for the Dewan Rakyat to debate the bill. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Nisha Sabanayagam, Programme and Operations Manager, AWAM.

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) showed despite more than a third of Malaysians having had experienced stalking, existing laws in Malaysia do not adequately help those at the receiving end. But do we understand where the lines ought to be drawn. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Yu Ren Chung, Deputy Executive Director, WAO.

Underscoring the pandemic’s public health response but perhaps not getting as much attention as vaccines, are diagnostic tests and therapeutics. Our guest explains why the development of affordable diagnostics and therapeutics, as part of the public health tool kit, is so important. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Sanjeev Krishna, Professor of Molecular Parasittology and Medicine, Institu...

Along with Pfizer’s vaccine we have many vaccine candidates that seem to be on the cusp of approval. This no doubts complicates the decision that policymakers have to make. How would you like policymakers to think through and make that comparison? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Sanjeev Krishna, Professor of Molecular Parasittology and Medicine, Institute of Infection and Immunity in Lond...

The UK has become the first country to approve the Pfizer-Bio-n-Tech Covid-19 vaccine -- making the first 800 thousand doses available next week. While this is being hailed as the harbinger of the pandemic’s end, it has come with costs -- costs that many are willing to overlook in exchange for a promised return to normality. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Sanjeev Krishna, Professor of Mo...

The 1st of December is World AIDS Day, and as at the end of 2019, the global death toll from AIDS was roughly 33 million people since its onset over 40 years ago. In all, 76 million people have been infected, and scientists estimate that another 1.7 million people continue to acquire HIV every year. Where does Malaysia stand in its fight against this epidemic? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak...

Successes in reducing infections from Intravenous Drug Use as well as Mother to Infant transmission has been showcase of sensible policies that followed on global conversations around the epidemic. Will we continue to extend evidence-based policy formulation? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President, International AIDS Society, Vice-President (Mala...

With the tagline, “Undetectable Means Untransmissible”, the development of PREP is the next step in the management of the epidemic. Are we following the science? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President, International AIDS Society, Vice-President (Malaysian AIDS Council) and the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Malaya.

The Wage Subsidy Programme that was first announced in March - subsidising wages for 3 months. It was extended for another 3 months, under the PENJANA package. And once again in September - extended for another 3 months. What have we learned so far about the effectiveness of the Wage Subsidy Programme? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Associate Professor Mohd Yusof Saari, Chief Economist,...

How effective would you say the breadth and depth of the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional has been as a form of social assistance? > Were these benefits easily and quickly disbursed to distressed households? Were any groups or categories missed by the BPN? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Firas Raad, World Bank Group Representative to Malaysia.

The government of Muhyiddin Yassin won a crucial victory today as the Dewan Rakyat greenlit a draft Budget 2021. After 13 days of debate, the budget bill moved past the 'Policy Stage' following a voice vote of lawmakers. There was, however, an attempt to call for 'bloc voting', which would've meant that every MP’s vote would be counted. But it did not get sufficient support from 15 MPs, only 13. M...

In the run up to this parliamentary session, discussion about the legitimacy of this government was rife, that there was a need for a de facto vote of confidence, with calls for the PN government to demonstrate its numbers. But to the surprise of many the Budget Bill never made it to the bloc voting. So what happened today in Parliament? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Bridget Welsh, Asia...

The Perikatan Nasional government, led by Muhyiddin Yassin, won a crucial victory today as the Dewan Rakyat greenlit a draft Budget 2021. After 13 days of debate, the budget bill moved past the 'Policy Stage' following a voice vote of lawmakers. But what did we really observe in Parliament today? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to political scientist Wong Chin Huat.